Tara Murray
The Environment Protection Authority Victoria is calling on residents of Sunshine to be on the lookout for oil or fuel in gutters and drains in the Anderson Road area, after a spill reached Kororoit Creek last week.
EPA officers responded to a report from a member of the public last Monday, that gave the location of an oily sheen on the surface of the creek, with a hydrocarbon smell, possibly from diesel fuel.
EPA western metropolitan regional manager Stephen Lansdell said although the spill was likely to have been only a few litres and was quickly washed away by the natural flow of the creek, it was still a threat to aquatic life in the creek and people’s enjoyment of their local environment.
“Small spills like this are often difficult to trace, but thanks to that prompt report from the public, the EPA officers were able to follow it back to a local storm water drain south of the Derby Street bridge, which narrowed the search,” he said.
“They visited industrial and commercial sites in the Graham Street, Leith Avenue and Hampshire Road area but found no source, which suggests the spill had come from a residential area.”
The EPA encourages members of the public to report pollution by calling EPA’s 24 hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) promptly and with as much detail as they can, to assist in any investigation.
